Police plan DUI checkpoint on 'triple whammy' weekend in Kansas City

The Kansas City Police Department plans to crack down on drivers who have had too much to drink on what they're calling a ‘triple whammy’ weekend.

It’s three times the trouble when you combine  unseasonably warm weather, the Big 12 tournament and St. Patrick’s Day.

So authorities in Kansas City have planned a sobriety checkpoint Friday night through Sunday.

Officers haven’t disclosed where they will be set up, but say it will be in an area where they’ve arrested drivers before.

If you come across a DUI checkpoint, you should be prepared to stop and show an officer your drivers license. The officer will look for signs of impairment, and if none are observed, the hold-up shouldn’t be  more than a couple of seconds, says Kansas City Police Sgt. Ronald Podraza.

“If you're okay in the officer's view, you don't have any clues of impairment, license back, you're on your way,” Podraza said.

Last year the Kansas City Police Department stopped 12,000 cars in more than two dozen checkpoints. About 400 drivers were loaded up on buses and hauled off to the police station.